The Resistance Front

The Resistance Front or TRF is a separatist militant organization involved in the ongoing insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir. Indian security agencies accuse it of being an offshoot of the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) although TRF claims itself as an indigenous resistance movement fighting for the freedom of Jammu and Kashmir from India,[14] TRF operates primarily in the Kashmir region, with a main base in Srinagar.[15]

The Resistance Front (TRF)
FoundersMuhammad Abbas Sheikh †[1]
Sheikh Sajjad Gul[2]
Patron and Supreme CommanderSheikh Sajjad Gul[3]
Chief operational CommanderBasit Ahmed Dar[4]
SpokespersonAhmed Khalid[5]
Dates of operation2019-present
Split fromHizbul Mujahideen
MotivesResistance to Indian administration of Jammu and Kashmir[6][7][8][9]
Active regionsJammu and Kashmir
SloganResistance till Victory (Tagline)
Notable attacks2023 Anantnag encounter[10][11]
Allies People's Anti-Fascist Front
Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front
Al-Badr (United Liberation Front) [12][6]
Opponents India
Battles and warsInsurgency in Jammu and Kashmir
Designated as a terrorist group by India
Flag
Websitekashmirfight.com (Blocked access in India)[13]

TRF was founded by Sheikh Sajjad Gul[16] of Srinagar and Muhammad Abbas Sheikh[17] of Kulgam a former Hizbul Mujahideen commander after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. TRF is considered the deadliest and biggest militant outfit in the current era of Kashmir militancy.[18][19] TRF carried out dozens of attacks across Jammu and Kashmir targeting Indian security forces, pro-Indian politicians, Hindutva activists, non-Kashmiri migrant laborers, and Kashmiri pundits.[20][21][22][23]

Origins

TRF came into existence as an online entity following the abrogation of Article 370 and the revocation of special status to Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019.[11][24] While it has connections to LeT, Tehreek-e-Millat Islamia, and Ghaznavi Hind, TRF was named in a way to avoid religious connotations and portray itself as a "people's movement." This nomenclature was intended to avoid scrutiny under the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as Pakistan sought to present Kashmir militancy as indigenous.[10]

On April 1, 2020, the TRF's name gained prominence after a four-day gun battle near the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara's Keran Sector.[25]

Activities

TRF has been linked to various activities, including planning attacks on security forces and civilians, coordinating the transportation of weapons for proscribed militant groups, recruitment of militants, infiltration across borders, and smuggling of weapons and narcotics.[11] It has also taken responsibility for attacks in Jammu and Kashmir since 2019.[10]

TRF has emerged as a significant security threat in Jammu and Kashmir, carrying out terror attacks, including targeting minority Kashmiri Pandits and security forces.[24][25] In 2022, it was responsible for a substantial number of terrorist fatalities in the region. TRF has also been active in recruitment, making it a prominent militant group in India.[10][11]

The TRF has claimed responsibility for several attacks in Jammu and Kashmir against Indian forces and it has made use of social media videos and posters to spread its propaganda.[10][11]

Recent developments

Notably, TRF claimed responsibility for an attack on security officers in the Anantnag district using the guerilla warfare strategy, citing it as an "act of revenge" for the killing of their leader, LeT commander Riyaz Ahmed, in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.[10][11]

Attacks
Year Date Location Description
2019 August Indian-administered Jammu & Kashmir TRF announced its official formation after the abrogation of Article 370.
2020 5th April Keran, Kupwara Indian forces attempted to subdue two TRF militants in the mountains of Keran, Kupwara, while the area was covered in snow. The TRF militants managed to kill five Indian PARA SF before being taken down.[26]
18th April Noorbagh, Sopore TRF militants ambushed Indian forces, killing at least three and injuring at least 2 more.[27]
3rd May Handwara Indian forces stormed a hideout, taking losses of five personnel, including one Colonel, one Major, and an Inspector of SOG, while then taking down the two TRF militants present.[28]
5th May Handwara TRF militants ambushed an Indian CRPF party near Wangam Crossing, Handwara, killing four CRPF personnel and injuring a further five more. They managed to snatch two rifles from the fallen CRPF troopers. A young mentally handicapped Kashmiri boy was killed as the CRPF returned fire.[29]
21st May Prichoo, Pulwama TRF militants attacked a CRPF/JKP party, killing 2 personnel and injuring a third.[30]
8th June Anantnag (Islamabad) TRF militants assassinated a BJP Pandit village leader.[31]
1st July Sopore TRF militants ambushed Indian forces, killing at least two and injuring at least 3 more. Indian forces killed a sixty-four-year-old civilian while returning fire.[32]
8th July Bandipora TRF militants assassinated a BJP leader along with his father and brother.[33]
25th September Hawal, Srinagar TRF militants assassinated Babar Qadri, a lawyer in Kashmir who was claimed to be a stooge of the Indian administration.[34]
6th October Nuner, Ganderbal TRF militants attacked the residence of BJP vice-president of Ganderbal. In this attack one PSO of BJP leader and 1 TRF militant Killed.[35]
30th October Kulgam TRF militants ambushed three BJP leaders, firing on their car and killing them all.[36]
8th November Machil, Kupwara TRF militants encountered Indian forces during a search operation during which, three Indian Army personnel and 1 BSF personal killed, finally the three TRF militants were overrun and killed.[37]
23rd December Duderhama, Ganderbal TRF militants ambushed Indian forces, lobbing grenades at a CRPF party followed by firing on them. Two CRPF troopers were killed while another was injured.[38]
31st December Dalgate, Srinagar TRF militants assassinated a non-local Jeweler Satpal Nishchal who was given domicile in Kashmir along with purchasing land there.[39]
2021 22nd January Kishtwar, Chenab Valley TRF militants ambushed an SOG party with grenades, injuring two personnel severely.[40]
19th February Barzulla, Srinagar TRF militants ambushed JKP personnel, killing two[41]
29th March Sopore TRF militants ambushed a BJP councilor's meeting, killing one JKP SPO and two BJP councilors.[42]
1st April Nowgam, Srinagar TRF militants attacked a BJP leader's home, killing the JKP guard and taking his rifle.[43]
22nd June Nowgam, Srinagar TRF militants assassinated a CID Inspector.[44]
27th June Tral, Pulwama Alleged TRF militants assassinated a JKP SPO, also killing his wife and daughter.[45]
7th August Poshwan, Kulgam TRF militants ambushed a JKP SHO's vehicle, killing one personnel and injuring another.[46]
5th October Srinagar TRF militants assassinated a Kashmiri Pandit Makhan Lal Bindroo accusing of being affiliated with RSS.[47]
7th October Eidgah, Srinagar TRF militants assassinated two teachers 1 Hindu and 1 Sikh who forced children to participate in 15 August India Day functions.[48]
9th October Mazgam, Kulgam TRF militants ambushed a police party in which two personnel were injured, later succumbing to injuries.[49]

International implications

Pakistan's inclusion on the FATF's "grey list" in 2018 and its subsequent removal raised questions about TRF's emergence. Some believe that TRF was strategically created to divert attention from LeT and other terror groups under FATF scrutiny. This move allowed Pakistan to maintain plausible deniability for attacks in India.[10]

Ban and designation

In January 2023, TRF was banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) by the Indian government. This action designated its leader, Sheikh Sajjad Gul, as a militant.[50] The ban was imposed due to suspicions of TRF's involvement in a conspiracy to assassinate Kashmiri journalist Shujaat Bukhari in June 2018.[11]

References
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  5. "TRF Spokesperson Ahmed Khalid". Hindustan Times. 24 May 2022.
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